Annapurna Circuit Permits 2027: ACAP, TIMS Cost and What You Need

Updated 18 October 2026.

Short answer: For the Annapurna Circuit you need two permits and no more: the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) at NPR 3,000 and a TIMS card at NPR 2,000. That is NPR 5,000 for a foreign trekker, which is about USD 33 at roughly NPR 152 to the dollar. SAARC nationals pay NPR 1,000 for each, so NPR 2,000 in total. The Circuit is not a restricted area, so there is no special permit and no USD 50-a-day style fee. On our 12-day trek both permits are already inside the price.

I am Shreejan. I wrote this for anyone planning the Circuit for 2027 who has read three different permit lists online and wants one honest answer. Here is what you need, what it costs, who arranges it, and what is not covered.

The Annapurna Circuit permits at a glance

These are the figures the Nepal Tourism Board lists. I last checked them in October 2026, and I check again before every season. If they change before you travel, I will update this page.

What permits do I need for the Annapurna Circuit?

You need the ACAP and a TIMS card. The ACAP is the entry fee for the Annapurna Conservation Area. The TIMS card is the trekkers' registration card.

There is no third permit. Nar Phu, Upper Mustang and Manaslu are restricted areas and do need a special permit, but the Circuit itself does not. If your Circuit also takes in Nar Phu, that part is different, and I explain it in our guide to restricted-area permits in Nepal. For Nar Phu the official fee is USD 100 a week from September to November and USD 75 a week from December to August.

Why is a TIMS card needed, and who issues it?

TIMS stands for Trekkers' Information Management System. It has been run jointly by the Nepal Tourism Board and the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) since 1 January 2008. The agency files your passport details, nationality and itinerary into a database. If there is an accident or a natural disaster, that database tells the authorities who is in the area and helps locate a missing trekker.

I take TIMS for every client for that reason. It protects you and it protects my staff, whose names go on the record too. Since 31 March 2023 the Nepal Tourism Board has said that listed routes need a licensed guide and an agency-issued TIMS card. The Annapurna Circuit is on that list. For the wider picture, read is solo trekking banned in Nepal and our complete guide to Nepal trekking permits.

How much extra do I pay for permits on our Circuit trek?

Nothing extra. We arrange both permits and include them in the price of every tier. Here is what the 12-day Annapurna Circuit trek costs as shown on the trip page today.

Bigger groups pay less per person, and the full table is on the trip page. A 10 per cent deposit confirms your dates, and the rest is paid in Kathmandu. The permits do not change the price you pay, but they are the reason I ask for a copy of your passport within a week of booking. Bring a few passport photos too, because the ACAP form needs them.

What is not covered by the permits or the trek price?

Your international flights, your Nepal visa (USD 50 for 30 days on arrival), travel insurance, your Kathmandu hotel, tips for the team, and on the Budget tier your meals on the trail. Budget meals run about USD 15 to 25 a day, and more near Thorong Phedi and High Camp.

Buy your insurance at home, not in Nepal. Check that it covers you to 5,500 m and includes helicopter evacuation, because Thorong La is 5,416 m.

Getting there and the route the permits cover

No flights are needed. Day 1 is a drive from Kathmandu to Bhulbhule (845 m), usually six to seven hours via Besisahar. You walk to Chame, Upper Pisang and Manang (3,540 m), rest a full day, then sleep at Ledar (4,250 m) and Thorong High Camp (4,900 m). The pass is 5,416 m, and you finish at Muktinath (3,800 m). On day 11 you drive to Pokhara, and on day 12 you drive back to Kathmandu. Our guide to the Besisahar trailhead and the piece on whether the Circuit is open after the road explain how the route has changed.

Your guide carries your permits and registers you at the checkposts along the way, so you do not have to stop and queue. Keep your passport with you at all times on the trail.

When is the best time to go in 2027?

October and November are the classic months, and March and April are the second season. The rain figures below are Manang averages from 1991 to 2020 and the temperatures are for Manang by day and night.

For the full month-by-month detail, read Annapurna Circuit best time, month by month. For what the pass day is like, read the Thorong La guide and the honest difficulty guide.

Questions people ask

How much are the Annapurna Circuit permits in 2027? The ACAP is NPR 3,000 and the TIMS card is NPR 2,000, so NPR 5,000 for a foreign trekker. SAARC nationals pay NPR 1,000 for each. These are the Nepal Tourism Board figures I checked in October 2026.

Do I need a restricted-area permit for the Annapurna Circuit? No. The Circuit is not a restricted area. Nar Phu, Upper Mustang and Manaslu are restricted, and they carry their own fees on top of the ACAP and TIMS.

Can I trek the Circuit without a guide? No. The Nepal Tourism Board says a licensed guide and an agency-issued TIMS card are mandatory on the listed routes, and the Circuit is one of them. Our guides are licensed, and I explain the rule in the solo trekking guide.

Does the ACAP cover Tilicho Lake? Yes. Tilicho Lake is inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, so the same two permits cover it. Our 16-day Circuit with Tilicho Lake needs only the ACAP and TIMS.

Are the permits included in your price? Yes, on every tier. You do not queue at a government office in Kathmandu. We buy both, and the cost is already inside the trek price.

Do permit fees differ for solo trekkers? No. The permit fees are the same for one person or a group. A solo trek costs more per person only because the guide, the transport and the porter cost are shared between fewer people.

Do the permit prices change every year? They can. The amounts above are what is listed today. I check them before each season, and I never quote an old figure to a client.

What is the cheapest way to do the Circuit? The Budget tier, with no porter, shared rooms and meals paid by you. Read how much the Annapurna Circuit costs for the honest full-cost view.

What are the booking terms?

Group size is 1 to 20, and solo travellers are welcome. The deposit is 10 per cent. It is non-refundable and there is no refund if you cancel, but you can move your trip free of charge to any date within one year with at least 72 hours notice. If we cannot run the trip ourselves, we refund what you paid, less taxes, bank or card charges and any money already spent on permits and flights. The balance is paid in Kathmandu, in US dollars or euros, cash or card. Card carries a 3.5 per cent bank charge and cash carries none. We do not take Nepali rupees from foreign guests.

How do you plan this with us?

Message me on WhatsApp on +977 9810351300 with the month you want to walk and how many of you there are. I will check the dates and send you the exact quote.

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday, from a family of three generations of family guides. TAAN Member #1586. WhatsApp +977 9810351300.